INDIANAPOLIS (February 7, 2008) - Twenty-seven Indiana high schools or postsecondary institutions are receiving grants totaling $114,000 that will be used to fund teams competing in the FIRST Robotics program, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced today. An international program, FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. The program's goal is to help young people recognize the opportunity, power, and joy of solving problems through science, technology, and engineering. "Engineering and scientific innovation are very important to the economic future of our state," said Teresa Voors, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. "This program helps provide an education and career path for young people who might not otherwise have discovered an interest in science and technology, she said." "It has been shown that students who participate in FIRST Robotics are 50 percent more likely to attend college and twice as likely to major in science or engineering," Voors said. Most of the Indiana teams will compete in the 4th annual Boilermaker Regional, held at Purdue University in March. At the competition, high-school students, teachers, and engineers will design and build robots to race around a track, manipulating 40" inflated "Trackballs" to score additional points. The FIRST Robotics program helps students develop their science, technology, entrepreneurship and math skills so important for the world of work in the 21st Century. Participants also develop skills such as brainstorming, real-world teamwork, dedicated mentoring, managing timelines and meeting deadlines. The program also involves partnerships with business and industry officials as the students often work side by side with engineers solving complex engineering challenges. The grants announced today were funded from the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. For more information on the FIRST Robotics program, go to the US FIRST Robotics website at http://www.usfirst.org/ or contact Terri Schulz at 317-233-5663 or tschulz@dwd.in.gov. Schools receiving grants and the amount of each grant: Carmel High School Carmel $2,500.00 Center Grove High School Greenwood $7,500.00 C4 Columbus Area Career Connection Columbus $7,500.00 Crown Point High School Crown Point $4,000.00 Henry Harrison High School West Lafayette $7,500.00 Huntington North High School Huntington $5,000.00 I.U.P.U.I/ Indianapolis Area Schools Indianapolis $6,000.00 Jefferson High School Lafayette $5,000.00 Kokomo High School Kokomo $2,500.00 Madison County High Schools Anderson $2,500.00 McKenzie Career Center Lawrence $2,500.00 Morristown High School Morristown $2,500.00 Muncie-Delaware County Schools Muncie $7,500.00 New Prairie High School New Carlisle $4,000.00 North White Jr./Sr. High School Monon $5.000.00 Penn High School Mishawaka $2,500.00 Perry Meridian High School Indianapolis $2,500.00 Pike High School Indianapolis $2,500.00 School City of Hammond Hammond $2,500.00 Southport High School Indianapolis $5,000.00 South Bend Comm. Schools South Bend $4,000.00 Taylor Community High School Kokomo $7,500.00 Terre Haute South High School Terre Haute $6,000.00 Walker Career Center/MSD Warren Township Indianapolis $2,500.00 West Lafayette High School West Lafayette $2,500.00 Western High School Russiaville $2,500.00 Wheeler High School Valparaiso $2,500.00 -30-
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